


a deal

by liliumregxle



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, P5R Spoilers, akechi/akira is in the bg and only implied, always wanted to see these two talk more, like big time. dont read if you havent beat the game completely, other pt are somewhat mentioned but don't appear, p5r ruined me and im coping, persona 5 royal spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:46:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23839324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liliumregxle/pseuds/liliumregxle
Summary: Akechi confides in Morgana.
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Morgana, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 10
Kudos: 164





	a deal

**Author's Note:**

> ignore the bad title. couldn't think of anything else. i legit cried while thinking about this fic so. enjoy.
> 
> my past of writing bad warrior cat ocs stories was surprisingly useful while writing morgana's body language
> 
> (this was written in like 3 hours so sorry if its bad xoxo)

Goro yawned as he walked away from Leblanc. It was quite late- most of the Phantom Thieves had already departed for the night. He'd stayed behind a bit longer to talk, on Akira's assistance. Goro had to admit, he felt bad for the black-haired teen. He'd seemed so exhausted as of late, and it was understandable. Having to convince his friends to see the false reality was hard enough; Akira had been through so much in the past year, but the world never seemed to be able to give the boy a break.

Scowling, Goro adjusts his scarf, shivering against the cold. He still had some info he wanted to look into regarding Maruki, and-

"Akechi," a boyish voice calls, and Goro spins around quickly, startled. But nobody is there- until he looks down, and Morgana is standing in front of him.

Goro tenses, eyebrows furrowed. “What do you want?” The teen asks, staring at the black cat. “Is Akira-”

“He’s fine,” Morgana assures, one of his ears flicking. “He’s already asleep, actually. Passed out as soon as he laid down,” The feline chuckles, “I was actually wondering if I could talk to you. Alone.” Morgana says.

Goro cocks his head, confused. Him and Morgana had never really talked one-on-one before- usually, Morgana was surrounded by the rest of the Phantom Thieves.

“What for?” Goro questions.

“It’s…” Morgana starts, but then glances around. “Maybe we should go somewhere a little more private instead. This may be a fake reality, but you still won’t look amazing if anyone sees you talking to me,” He mutters. “Follow me.”

Turning around, Morgana heads towards the laundromat, and Goro hesitantly follows behind him. The brunette bites his tongue, tempted to tell the cat that if he’s just going to give Goro some lecture that he can screw off, but he still follows the feline, curiosity getting the better of him.

As they enter the laundromat, Morgana leaps up onto one of the machines, and Goro is immediately struck by memories of how he confronted Akira in this place only weeks ago. Leaning against one of the driers, the teen crosses his arms, glaring at the cat. “What is it?”

Morgana takes a deep breath, and bows his head slightly. “I want to apologize.”

Goro is surprised by what the cat is saying, raising one of his eyebrows. “Why are you apologizing? You didn’t do anything.”

“Not from me,” Morgana says, “but… on behalf of Lady Lavenza and Master Igor.”

If Morgana didn’t have Goro’s full attention before, he does now.

“Back when all the Thieves were in the Velvet Room, I had a chance to talk to them while Akira was gathering everyone,” the black cat explains, sitting down and curling his tail around his paws. “I mentioned you.”

“Lady Lavenza… she didn’t bring it up when she was talking to everyone, but I think she didn’t want to say it in front of all the Thieves. If she had more power to stay in this reality, and it wasn’t so draining for her, I know she’d apologize to you face to face,” Morgana says, frowning.

“When I brought you up, Lady Lavenza... she told me she felt truly guilty for what happened to you.” Morgana explains quietly, “Had they had any control over it, they would have stopped that cursed “God of Control” from putting you in some game like it did.”

Goro frowns, staring at the ground. “It’s not like it matters now. All that matters is stopping Maruki.” He mutters, staring at the floor.

“It does, though,” Morgana refutes, tail tip twitching. “Akechi, like it or not, you’re still a teenager. That false god fed into your anger and wish for revenge. He was using your emotions for a sake of some rigged game.” The cat growls.

“Master Igor, Lady Lavenza… any of the residents of the Velvet Room wouldn’t stand for that.” Morgana says, tail beginning to lash now. “That’s not what they do. Lady Lavenza, she had no control in that situation, but she still feels guilty. She still wishes you had been given a better chance to succeed.”

Goro doesn’t respond, letting the words sink in. When Akira had explained the whole “God of Control” situation, he’d been frustrated, but somehow, unsurprised. The idea of someone being behind the scenes, it felt all too understandable, considering his story.

Morgana sighs, bringing the brunette out of his thoughts. The cat gazes at him, and then quietly, he asks, “You know how Akira’s powers grow based on the bonds he makes?”

Slowly, Goro nods. Akira had given him the gist of it- stronger bonds, stronger personas. It felt all too accurate for the boy who managed to find a friend in any outcast.

“When I mentioned you, Master Igor said that your bond with Akira… it’s one of the most powerful bonds he has.” Morgana mutters, “He also told me that had your situation been slightly different, you could have had just as much of a chance to be the Trickster, like Akira is.”

That statement surprises him. The idea that he could be where Akira is now, surrounded by strong bonds and friendships, it’s almost laughable.

The two sit in silence, Morgana gazing at the brunette, seeking a response. Goro, unsure of what to say, simply murmurs, “I was always jealous that he had you, you know.”

It’s Morgana’s turn to look surprised, eyes widening slightly. “What?” He asks, slightly in disbelief.

“You two… you work so well together. And you’ve had eachother pretty much from the beginning,” Goro mutters, “When I saw how you two worked together in Sae’s palace, I couldn’t help but be jealous. Maybe had I had you when I awakened, I’d be in a different place now.”

“Akechi…” Morgana murmurs, eyes softening.

“There’s also…” Goro trails off, reaching up to brush his hair back behind his ear nervously.

“Also what?” Morgana pushes.

“It’s childish, but as a kid, I always wanted a cat,” Goro explains, and he can’t help but scoff at the thought. “We weren’t that financially stable, though, and my mom didn’t want to get a cat we couldn’t take care of. None of my foster families wanted one, either,” He mutters, crossing his arms again. “In you, Akira had a strong partner and companion. It was just another thing he had that I always wanted.”

Morgana watches him, and despite the fact he’s a feline, Goro can see the pity in his eyes. He’s tempted to lash out at Morgana, tell the cat to stop looking at him like that, but before he can think about it too much, Morgana speaks up.

“Do you want to pet me?”

That question is perhaps the most surprising one of the night. Akira had told Goro that Morgana had very specific rules about who could pet him. Since Morgana wanted to be seen as an equal, most of the Phantom Thieves were restricted to patting him on his head, or risking a bite or scolding. Akira, Takamaki, and Okumura were the only ones who could get away with fully petting him.

“You’re lucky, you know,” Morgana mutters, standing up and stretching. “I don’t let most people do this.”

Hesitantly, Goro reaches out. Before he can touch the cat’s head, he freezes, wondering if it’s worth it to damage his pride for the sake of petting a cat. But before he can decide to retract his hand, Morgana pushes up into it, leaning into the touch. Accepting his fate, the teen scratches at Morgana’s ears, and the black cat purrs, clearly enjoying himself. A small smile graces Goro’s face.

They stay there for what has to be a few minutes, and as he pets away, a thought comes to Goro. He hadn’t been meaning to tell anyone, but… maybe…

“Morgana, can I… tell you something?” Goro asks, pulling away his hand from the cat. Morgana, surprised, looks up and meets his eyes.

“What is it?” he questions, ears flicking.

“While looking into Maruki, I’ve had some time to reflect on my own past,” the teen begins, eyebrows furrowing. Morgana, intrigued, sits down again, gazing at Goro intently.

“I have… a theory,” he starts. “I’ve been so caught up in everything recently, that I didn’t notice it. But when I looked back… I realized something.”

Morgana seems fully intrigued now, tail twitching furiously.

“Morgana, I can’t remember how I actually got out of Shido’s palace,” he says in a hushed tone, voice stern and serious, reaching down and placing a hand on his stomach. “All I remember is getting shot here,” the teen gestures to a spot on the left of his lower abdomen, “I know I managed to hit the cognition of me. But then… I saw the other shadows approaching, and then I blacked out.”

Morgana’s eyes widen. “What…?”

“That shot, it wouldn’t be fatal. But I couldn’t have fought off the other shadows in that state, let alone get out of the palace,” Goro mutters, “The next thing I remember is standing in Shibuya, and overhearing Sae talking to Akira.”

“I should have died on that boat,” Goro snarls, “but yet, I’m here. And conveniently, I can’t remember _how_ I survived.”

Understanding finally seems to sink in for Morgana. “You don’t mean-”

Goro nods, cutting him off. “I honestly believe there’s a chance that outside of this reality, I’m dead. I think Maruki brought me back. There’s no guarantees yet, but everything is pointing in that direction.”

“But why?” Morgana asks, voice too loud for Goro’s liking. “Why would he bring you back? He didn’t fulfill any of your wishes!”

“Morgana, do you not remember what Akira said to me before you lost my signal?” Goro questions, staring down at the cat.

Morgana pauses, before slowly, he mutters, “He said you had a promise to keep.”

“Exactly,” Goro hisses, “Akira wasn’t affected by this reality, and it seemed like he didn’t have a wish,” The teen growls, arms falling to his sides, clenching his fists. “But what if I’m here because he wanted that promise to be fulfilled?”

Morgana’s eyes go almost comically wide. “That’s…”

“You can’t tell the others about this,” Goro explains, trying to keep his voice calm. “Any type of hesitation… it’ll get someone killed. I don’t want the others to have to live, controlled by someone else, just because of me,” He snarls, voice breaking slightly, “ _I_ don’t want to be controlled anymore. Even if that means I’m dead.”

Morgana shakes his head furiously. “Akechi, I can’t just _not_ tell them,” Morgana responds, standing up, his fur bristling. “Like it or not, you’re part of our team now. I know that part of you thinks that Haru and Futaba want you gone, but that’s not how it is at all. I can’t let them go on without knowing your life is at stake!”

Goro clenches his jaw, frustrated the cat isn’t seeing what he’s trying to say. “Morgana,” he starts, eyes filled with fury, “If they find out, I’ll become a bargaining chip. Maruki will use _me_ to keep them all here,” the teen says, and his eyes soften. “He’ll use it to keep Akira here. I can’t… I can’t let that happen.”

“I’ve hurt enough of your team,” Goro says, eyes beginning to water, his voice breaking. “I won’t let it happen again. Not now, not ever.”

Morgana goes to retort, but as he sees tears gathering in the brunette’s eyes, he stops, anger fading away. “Akechi, I…”

Rubbing at his eyes with the back of his arm, Goro sniffles, attempting to gather himself again. Quietly, he says, “I just… want you to do one thing for me, if after all of this I’m gone.”

Ears perking up, Morgana nods, urging the boy to go on.

“Keep an eye on Akira. For me. That boy… his heart is too big for his own damn good,” Goro says, scoffing, eyes red from the tears. “It’s hurt him in the past, and it’ll hurt him again. You have to promise me you’ll keep him from getting hurt.”

Morgana nods, murmuring, “Of course, Akechi.” The cat knew all too well about Akira’s bleeding heart- and Akechi had a point. While it had helped Akira greatly, it was also prone to getting the teen into danger.

Sniffling, Goro extends his gloved hand out to the cat, eyes filled with determination despite the remnants of tears. “It’s a deal then. And I promise you, Maruki… I won’t let him get away with this.” The brunette growls, sparks of anger appearing in his dark red eyes.

Extending his paw out, Morgana nods, and Akechi wraps his hand around it, shaking Morgana’s paw.

“It’s a deal.” Morgana murmurs.


End file.
